Pork Custard (Charlette) – Medieval Meat-and-Milk Dish from Harleian MS. 279 (c.1430)

“.lvj. Charlette” – Pork Custard, Harleian MS. 279 (c.1430)Photo: Give It Forth

Originally published 1/16/2017 Updated 10/31/2025

Among the most puzzling entries in Harleian MS. 279 is “.lvj. Charlette” — a firm, sliceable custard of milk, pork or veal, eggs, and ale. It sits at the edge of pudding, cheese, and meat pie: a now-rare style sometimes dubbed a “hard custard.”

The name is often glossed as “meat-milk” (with char “flesh/meat” and –lette “milk”), and similar “milk-meat” recipes turn up in The Forme of Cury and A Noble Boke off Cookry. Medieval diners would have found it robust and nourishing; to modern eyes it can look… challenging. But as a piece of culinary archaeology, it’s priceless.

🥕 Dietary notes: contains meat & dairy; not vegetarian. Gluten-free if using GF ale. Try a mushroom variant for testing.

Lost Techniques Spotlight: Curds-by-Ale & the “Hard Custard” Family

• Ale-curdling, not sweet-setting: Here, hot milk is curdled by adding beaten eggs and a little ale as the acid; the eggs help bind fine curds around minced meat.
• Kin to egg-cheese & posset: The method sits between fresh cheese (acid + heat) and early egg-thickened drinks (posset). Pressing the curds overnight makes a sliceable loaf.
• Savory custards fade: By the 16th–17th c., European tastes shift toward sweet, cream-based, gently baked custards. Savory “hard custards” like charlette mostly vanish.
• Service tip: Medieval directions say to press the loaf and reheat slices in hot broth. This keeps texture tender and adds flavor.

Feast planning: Make a day ahead so it presses and chills fully. Slice cold; reheat in beef or capon broth at service.

Modern Adaptation

Makes ~6 slices • Active: 20 min • Cook: 15 min • Chill/press: overnight

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 lb pork or veal, very finely minced (ground is fine)
• Salt to taste
• Pinch of saffron
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp ale (or use mild cider vinegar for a sharper curd)
• 1/4 cup beef or capon/chicken broth, boiling for service

Method

1. In a small pot, gently simmer pork/veal in milk with salt and saffron until the meat is cooked.
2. Beat eggs with ale in a separate bowl.
3. Bring the milk to a boil, then pour in the egg-ale mixture, stirring constantly to prevent sticking.
4. Stir as fine curds form (about 3–5 minutes). Remove from heat; rest 5 minutes.
5. Line a sieve with cheesecloth; pour in the mixture. Fold cloth and press gently with a plate.
6. Weight (cans/jars) and refrigerate overnight to drain and firm.
7. Unmold, slice cold, and serve by pouring boiling broth over slices to reheat.

Context, Use & Humoral Notes

A dish like charlette likely appeared among pottages or in a middle course — substantial but not a roast. In humoral terms it reads as warm and moist (meat, eggs, milk), thought restoring for cold/dry temperaments or winter dining.

Suggestions

• Herb option: Some cognate recipes add sage (see Arundel 334). A pinch lifts flavor without leaving period practice.
• Protein swap: Veal is equally period-appropriate; worth a side-by-side test if pork reads too intense.
• Feast plating: Press in a shallow pan; cut diamonds/rounds; reheat in broth at the pass for better presentation.

What Happened to “Hard Custards”?

From the late 15th–16th centuries, European kitchens move toward sweeter, cream-based custards and gentler techniques. Sugar prices drop, dairy handling improves, and meat-milk pairings start to feel rustic. Transitional forms (egg cheeses, baked cream puddings, possets) persist, but sliceable savory custards mostly fade by the 17th century.

Deeper Reading & Culinary Context

The charlette occupies a fascinating crossroads in medieval foodways. It represents a time when the boundaries between dairy, meat, and egg dishes were fluid — centuries before rigid food categories like “custard” or “omelet” existed. These dishes evolved from older monastic and medical traditions that saw milk and eggs as nourishing bases, easily combined with meat for invalids and travelers.

Meat-and-Milk Combinations & Taboos

In much of medieval Europe, meat and milk were considered incompatible during fasting seasons but acceptable at other times. The Church banned animal flesh and dairy together only on specific days, not universally. Recipes like charlette reflect this flexibility — a blend of both “red” and “white” foods that symbolized abundance outside Lent.

Curdling Agents: Ale, Wine, and Verjuice

Before modern rennet, cooks relied on natural acids to curdle milk — ale, vinegar, citrus, or verjuice (unripe grape juice). In this recipe, ale supplies mild acidity and yeast proteins that help coagulate milk. Its use alongside eggs shows an advanced understanding of double-coagulation: acid curds the milk, while heat sets the eggs — a medieval precursor to custard science.

From Charlette to Custard Tart

By the Tudor period, savory curds gave way to sweet custard pies and tarts baked in pastry. The French flan and English custarde lumbarde are direct descendants. The “hard custard” technique survived longest in rural cheesemaking, in dishes like egg cheese or junket, which used almost identical methods minus the meat.

Feasting & Status Symbolism

Milk was costly to transport and spoilage-prone. Serving it with meat and saffron signaled wealth and access to fresh ingredients. A saffron-yellow charlette on a silver platter would have stood out vividly among darker meats and breads at a 15th-century table.

Further Reading: Terence Scully, The Art of Cookery in the Middle Ages (1995); Ken Albala, Eating Right in the Renaissance (2002); C.M. Woolgar, The Culture of Food in England, 1200–1500 (2016).

Original & Translation (Side-by-Side)

Harleian MS. 279 (Austin, 1888) – Middle English

Modern Sense Translation

.lvj. Charlette.—Take Mylke, an caste on a potte, with Salt and Safroun y-now; þan hewe fayre buttys of Calf or of Porke, noȝt to fatte, alle smal, an kaste þer-to; þan take Eyroun, þe whyte an the ȝolke, & draw þorw a straynoure; an whan þe lycoure ys in boyling, caste þer-to þin Eyroun and Ale, & styre it tylle it Crodde; þan presse it a lytil with a platere, an serue forth; saue, caste þer-on broþe of Beeff or of Capoun.

Charlette. Take milk and put it in a pot with salt and enough saffron; cut good pieces of veal or pork, not too fatty, very small, and add them. Beat eggs (whites and yolks) and strain. When the liquid is boiling, add the eggs and ale and stir until it curdles. Press it a little with a plate and serve; pour over beef or capon broth.

🥕 Experimental Vegetarian Variant – “Charlette of Mushrooms”

While the medieval charlette is unambiguously a meat-and-milk dish, the same curdling method can be adapted to test period technique with modern dietary needs. The following experimental version mirrors the original process, replacing animal elements with period-appropriate substitutions.

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond milk (unsweetened, homemade if possible)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms (button or oyster for mildness)
• Pinch of saffron (or a few drops of annatto-infused oil for color)
• 2 eggs, beaten (or 2 tbsp chickpea flour whisked with water for a vegan set)
• 2 tbsp verjuice or small beer (to curdle)
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Simmer mushrooms in almond milk with salt and saffron until tender.
2. Whisk eggs (or chickpea mixture) with verjuice.
3. Bring milk to a low boil and add egg mixture, stirring until small curds form.
4. Drain through cheesecloth, press lightly, and chill overnight.
5. Slice and serve reheated with hot mushroom or vegetable broth.

Results: This produces a delicate, slightly nutty “custard” that captures the texture of the original without meat. The acidity of verjuice mimics ale’s curdling action. Highly recommended for feast testers or vegetarian diners.

Similar Recipes

• The Forme of Cury [Rylands MS 7], c.1390 – “.xxxix. Charlet”
• Ancient Cookery [Arundel 334], c.1425 – “Charlet” (adds sage)
• A Noble Boke off Cookry, c.1468 – “To mak charlet…”

Sources & Links

• Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery Books (Harleian 279 & 4016) – Univ. of Michigan
• MedievalCookery.com – “Charlette” index

More from the Harleian 279 Series

• Series Hub – Harleian MS. 279 (Pottages & more)
• Five Medieval Lenten Dishes
• Bryndons – Sweet & Fruity Sauce
• Mortrews of Pork/Chicken

🥕 Tried the mushroom version or a different curdling agent? Share your results below!